Book Reviews

Flying with Biscuit Bomber Bob

​Author: Robert
R. Mosier

Book
Description: The title of the book is: Flying with
Biscuit Bomber Bob. The Untold Story of WWII Air Transport in the Pacific. It
includes five maps showing how the 57th finally got to Tokyo, and has 76 black
and white illustrations of various locations and airfields. " Flying
with Biscuit Bomber Bob" is the story of the 57th Troop Carrier Squadron
in the Southwest Pacific during WWII as seen through the experiences of one of
its pilots. Bob graduated from High School and at age 18 in 1943 and
immediatelyvolunteered for the Army. He
was accepted as a cadet for pilot training inthe USAAF Western Training Command and gained his wings as a 2nd Lt. in
June1944. Three months later he was in
New Guinea flying troop support missionswith the 57th. Bob epitomizes the thousands of young Americans who
lefttheir homes and undertook hazardous
flying conditions in unarmed planes.This is just as much their story as it is his.

The troop carrier squadrons played a vital but
largely unsung role in the Pacific War. Their motto was "Vincit Qui Primum
Gerit," which meant "He conquers who gets there first." Flying
first C-47s, the military version of the DC-3, and then later the larger C-46s,
the Troop Carrier Squadrons ferried troops, ammunition, nurses, food, and
supplies from one island battlefield to
the next, airlifting the wounded or ill to hospitals in the rear. In this
capacity they earned their nickname of the "Biscuit Bombers." They
flew in all kinds of weather with minimal navigation aids, often long stretches
over open water where no rescue was possible, seeking out and landing on dirt
airstrips carved out of the jungle, often while the shooting was still going
on. They dropped paratroops on to enemy held airfields, andas soon as the perimeter was secured, landed
more troops and supplies. Whilethis is
Bob's story, it is also the story of dozens of other troop carriersquadrons and the flight and ground crew
members that kept the C-47s andC-46s in
working order.

When the war ended, Bob returned home where he
met and married his wifeBeverly. Then,
like thousands of other returning veterans, he restarted thelife he'd put on hold four years earlier. He
enrolled at UCLA, got a degreein
electrical engineering,raised a wonderful
family and went on to adistinguished
career in electronics, digital communications, and took partin many new and innovative developments that
were building blocks for theinternet
and eventual creation of the World Wide Web.

Flying with Biscuit Bomber Bob is
available on Amazon.com as both a paperback and an e-book or can be
ordered.​

None of the 6th Troop Carrier Squadron (6th TCS) pilots knew where they were when they landed in New Guinea on 13 October 1942, with their thirteen, unarmed C-47 aircraft. After parking their planes, the pilots were told, "If you survive after getting shot down, look out for sharks, be aware of alligators when crossing rivers, and yes, there are still many cannibals in New Guinea--if they catch you, they'll eat you. Don't forget the headhunters. If the Japs don't find you, the mosquitos certainly will. You'll have no radio or map--you'll be on your own. Good luck. Now get your trenches dug quickly, we'll be under a full-scale bombing attack in less than two hours."

The dedication of the 6th TCS, the most highly decorated air transport squadron in World War II, was crucial to the success of Allied efforts to stem the tide of Japanese aggression. Just five miles from enemy lines, with snipers in the traffic pattern, their daily mission was to fly over some of the most challenging terrain on earth while evading Japanese Zeros. The 6th TCS had no maps, charts, radios, roads, fire power, and, at times, little or no fighter support.

This "Diary" is a first-hand testimony from the man who was awarded six Distinguished Flying Crosses and flew 385 combat missions in two wars--the most in any U.S. military career prior to the Vietnam Conflict. Major Ernest C. Ford writes this blow-by-blow account with compelling detail of what it was like to be under constant attack with no way to fight back. His story is laced with reflective commentary on how his faith kept him going while pondering his favorite Bible verse, Isaiah 40:30, "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles"

This book of the late Dr. Tom Campbell takes you along with him during his tour of service during WWII in the Pacific.

The book “Tokyo Trolley” is a story of Lt and later Capt Tom Campbell and his wonderful family. Tom Campbell was given a deferment for WWII because of the job he had. Tom Campbell gave up the deferment and joins the Army to serve his country. Selected for flight training he takes the reader with him through what it was like being a flight cadet during WWII. He was given a surprise when sent to the south west pacific instead of getting an instructor slot stateside. In this book he takes you from New Guinea to Tokyo via the Philippines and Okinawa. This book is easy reading and very entertaining.

Capt Tom Campbell flew in the 375t Troop Carrier Group and was assigned to the 55th Troop Carrier Squadron during his tour of duty in the pacific.